ONLY ON 3: HOA targets woman who blew whistle on condo racoon problem

CASWELL BEACH, NC (WWAY) — A Brunswick County woman says after she came to us with a story about a raccoon infestation, she became the target of her condo’s home owners association. Now she is trying to figure out how to keep her home while the original problem is still unresolved.

Susan Prater called WWAY in May complaining about raccoons in her attic and walls at Oak Island Beach Villas in Caswell Beach. After our story aired, Prater was told her two dogs broke the HOA’s rules, and they had to go. Prater found a new home for her dogs, but was then told she had to find a new place to stay.

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“Within an hour and a half (of finding a place for the dogs), the owner of my condo received another letter, an advisory notice, stating if she did not formally disassociate herself with me, they were going to file a lawsuit against her,” Prater said.

Prater says she is sure the HOA did this in response to the media attention she attracted.

According to a report from the Brunswick County Health Department, the condo complex does have a raccoon problem. Prater says if the management would have just addressed the problem instead of ignoring it, none of this would have ever been an issue.

“This all started because the owner wanted something done about the raccoon issue,” Prater said. “Had she continued the fight, we wouldn’t be here today. This would be taken care of. She dropped the ball in the middle of it and then threw me under the bus in the process.”

We tried to talk to the condo’s owner, Ginger Harper, as well as the HOA and a representative from CAMS Property Management. No one returned our calls.

Prater went to court today to fight the eviction and won, because the judge said there were no grounds for her to leave.